Sixth Year Blues
by doelupin
Summary: How Dorcas Meadowes started realising her feelings for Remus Lupin, after accidentally running into him in the Hospital Wing, recovering from a full moon. I promise the story is better than the summary. Rated M for future chapters. Enjoy!


This is my first story. I'm just a fanatic Roe shipper that disapproves of the lack of fanfics regarding this wonderful pairing. Depending on the reviews I'm hoping to receive, I will judge whether there will be a next chapter. Do review though, I'd really appreciate it. I might even send you a doe for New Years Eve :3

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><p>It was late in the afternoon when Dorcas was finally done with her homework. She liked being ahead of class, it gave her the advantage of having more time to stroll around the castle when everyone stayed up really late to study. Of course that was rarely seen between her housemates, for no sensible Ravenclaw would leave their homework to the last minute.<p>

Doe had decided to visit the hospital wing, in case Pomfrey needed any help with her patients. She always did that when time allowed her to. It felt like a step closer to her ultimate post-Hogwarts goal, to become a healer. Her blonde hair popped from the edge of the door as the Ravenclaw girl looked discreetly, scanning for any signs of patients in distress. Her eyes, however, landed on the familiar figure of a boy her age. She took a few cautious steps towards his bunk, taking in his disheveled state with wide eyes.

"Loopy?" she asked breathlessly when she finally reached the bed. The boy resting was no other than one of her dearest friends, Remus Lupin. But in this condition, he was anything but the Remus she knew. His face the palest of them all, dark blue circles underneath his eyes, his bottom lip slightly swollen, split right in the middle. He looked beaten up, and the thought that somebody would have tried to hurt Remus, of all the people, made Dorcas frown. Her hand moved slowly to his sandy-blond hair as her fingers raked it softly. "You alright?" she asked again, a little louder this time but all she got as a response was a hoarse grunt.

Alarmed by Remus' sounds, Pomfrey shot out from her office with a nervous look on her face, but as soon as her eyes caught the familiar blond helper of hers, she immediately calmed down. However, it didn't slip from her attention how the girl's hand was still softly caressing Remus' hair, and a sad smile formed on the nurse's lips. Did Dorcas know of little Lupin's condition? Was she there to comfort him? "Darling, I'm going to ask you to leave. Visiting hours are over and is in too much of a difficult state to communicate with anyone right now. I'm pretty sure he'll be out by tomorrow." she finished with a kind nod.

Dorcas immediately withdrew her hand as Pomfrey addressed her behind her back. A slight blush crept on her cheeks as she shot a last glare at Remus, who seemed to be in a deep but not necessarily peaceful sleep. _She must have gotten the wrong impression_, the girl thought to herself as her hand rummaged through her school bag, avoiding the nurse's gaze. "What happened to him? Has he gotten in a fight with anyone?" she asked absent-mindedly as her fingers closed around a small plastic object.

Poppy kept still in her spot, taking in Dorcas' nervous movements and reactions, thinking she had hit a nerve. She waved her hand in a dismissive manner, unsure whether the girl had seen her. "You know Remus, always a little clumsy. Had a nasty fall, is all. As I've said before, given the proper time to rest, he'll be good as new by tomorrow." That was a grand lie. No grown man would be able to recover from such a monstrous transformation that fast, let alone a teenage boy with lanky limbs like Remus. But if the girl had to ask, then she surely wasn't aware of the werewolf's condition, and so Poppy kept her mouth shut.

Words took a little longer to register with Dorcas as she stood there, almost paralyzed by a new found need to curl up in Remus' side and try to soothe his wounds. That boy had been her friend since her first train ride to Hogwarts. He had been the only one that refrained from making fun of her name and instead offered her a seat in his own compartment, whereas everybody else had, more or less, kicked her out. They grew up together and spent summers and winters at the same places. Heck, even their parents had become friends within the years, brought together by their offspings' close friendship. But that fondness towards Remus was extremely unfamiliar and Doe felt the need to hide under her covers until it all went away. _Or maybe his covers._ She shook her head firmly at that thought, leaving the plastic object she had withdrawn from her bag on her friend's nightstand. "Well then, I'll see him tomorrow, I guess. Thank you Poppy, have a pleasant night." She mumbled between her teeth before hurrying out of the hospital wing, eyes pinned on the floor.

Hours had passed until Remus finally awoke. The first thing he had to do was stand still to locate the parts that hurt. Everything ached like mad but that was a good sign for him, it meant there had been no permanent damage to his already tormented body. Next was eyesight. He cracked his eyelids open, ever so slightly, flinching as the light from the lone candle on his nightstand made his sensitive eyes well up. Almost ready to close them again, he noticed something else standing next to the candle. It was small, a tiny object, standing on clumsy, skinny legs. _Just like I do,_ he thought to himself, grinning slightly, as much as his split lip allowed him too. The creature, however, had four legs instead of two, and a pair of pointy, cute ears on its long face.

Holding back his urge to scream from the pain, Remus slowly extended his arm, just as needed to reach out for the little toy on his nightstand. As soon as his fingers curled securely around the cold material, he snatched his arm back, stifling a painful growl in his pillow. Shaky fingers held the toy close to his eyes as his grin grew wider, a sudden warm feeling spreading inside of him as the dim light finally fell upon the object in his hand. "Doe" he whispered, the air leaving his lungs so abruptly causing the candle to burn out. With a proper smile now brightening his face, Remus brought his hand close to his chest, cradling the little plastic doe in his palm as his eyelids slipped shut again, this time leading to a much more peaceful sleep.


End file.
